Impaired Postural Balance in Turner Syndrome

J. Wahlberg; G. Sydsjö; T. Ledin; M. Bågesund; B. Ekman

doi:10.1055/s-0033-1333718

Hormone and Metabolic Research, Table of Contents

Horm Metab Res 2013; 45(07): 537-540
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1333718

Humans, Clinical

Impaired Postural Balance in Turner Syndrome

J. Wahlberg

¹Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

,

G. Sydsjö

²Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

,

T. Ledin

³Division of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

,

M. Bågesund

⁴Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Centre for Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, Norrköping, Sweden

,

B. Ekman

¹Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

An impaired body balance has been found in Turner syndrome (TS) in clinical tests like Rombergs’s test and walking on a balance beam. The aim of the study was to assess postural balance in TS subjects with specific balance testing using dynamic posturography and relate to body composition. Nineteen TS subjects (20–57 years) were included. Balance was measured with dynamic posturography (Equitest) and compared with 19 sex and age-matched controls (22–59 years). Equitest, visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems were provoked with increasing difficulty (6 tests, SO1–SO6) and body sway was measured with a dual forceplate. Body composition was measured with DXA. No difference was found between the TS subjects and the controls on fixed platform with open eyes (SO1), with closed eyes (SO2), with stable platform and visual disorientation (SO3), or on unstable platform with open eyes (SO4). In the difficult tests on unstable platform the TS subjects did worse compared with controls both in the test with eyes closed (SO5), p<0.01, and in the test with visual disorientation (SO6), p<0.05. Composite (a merge of all six recordings) was significantly lower in the TS-group, p<0.05. In the TS group high total body weight was related to worse outcome on tests SO5, SO6, and composite, while total bone mass, age, height, or waist showed no significant association with balance scores. Our findings indicate that TS could have an increased risk for falling due to impaired ability to manage complex coordination tasks.

Key words

oestrogen deficiency - Turner syndrome - balance - posturography - body weight

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References

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